In our betting predictions today, we’ll be focusing on ESL One: New York. Top teams are gearing up to battle each other in the opening matches.

It’s going to be a wonderful run of matches, because a lot of those top-tier teams are operating at the top of their form at the moment. The eight teams participating are divided into two groups, A and B.

Betting Predictions Today – Upper Bracket Matches

The event will start with teams facing each other in the Upper Bracket Matches.

Matches for both groups A and B will be played simultaneously. In Group A, SK Gaming and Team EnVyUs face each other, while in Group B, FaZe Clan and Virtus.pro will engage each other in their first match of the event.

These matches will start today, September 15, 2017, at 11:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

SK Gaming vs Team EnVyUs

Team EnVyUs has (as usual) battled its way through harsh qualifier matches to get here. They defeated teams like G2 Esports and Gambit Gaming… teams who have been known to decimate SK Gaming. SK Gaming, on the other hand, is no longer ‘top gun’ in the global rankings.

Betting Predictions Today:

The stats as of August show a 70% win rate for SK Gaming, as opposed to a 61% win rate for Team EnVyUs. Yes, Team EnVyUs is improving, but can they defeat SK Gaming in a BO1 match?

The answer could still be no. When it comes to BO1 matches SK Gaming still has the upper hand as compared to Team EnVyUs. This match is going to be interesting, to say the least.

FaZe Clan vs Virtus.pro

After losing heavily in DreamHack Malmö 2017 and losing the chance to enter the Grand Finals of ESG Tour Mykonos 2017, Virtus.pro must prove themselves in these matches or be slated to the vast roster of ‘failing teams’.

FaZe Clan must not be overconfident in these matches.Virtus.pro will be desperate for a win.

If we compare these teams’ current rankings, FaZe Clan is at rank 9 with a 67% win rate, while Virtus.pro stands 19th globally with a win rate of just 50%.

Betting Predictions Today:

If FaZe go into this match carelessly, they could lose. But if FaZe Clan focus and play as a team, they can win this easily.

Those were the opening matches…

Now we’ll assess the next ones. In Group A, Cloud9 will face Natus Vincere and in Group B, Astralis will face Team Liquid.

These matches will start today, September 15, 2017, at 12:10 EDT.

Cloud9 vs Natus Vincere

Cloud9 is likely to have a tough engagement of this, as Natus Vincere are the current defenders. It’s unlikely that they’re going to sacrifice their title in the opening rounds.

Cloud9 stands one rank higher than Natus Vincere, with a win rate of 56%. Natus Vincere have a win rate of 38%.

Betting Predictions Today:

Those win rates are actually misleading. While Cloud9’s win rate represents battles against low and medium tier teams, Natus Vincere has to continuously fight top tier teams in every event they take part in.

Astralis vs Team Liquid

Team Liquid is in very good fighting form, but they just might have drawn the worst possible opponent for this match.

Betting Predictions Today:

Astralis is much better than Team Liquid when comes to BO1 matches. Team Liquid usually needs at least a match to spare to get their act together.

Team Liquid also has a record of losing against top tier European teams. And Astralis stands at number 3 in the European rankings. Team Liquid has shown some very determined play recently at Mykonos, but Astralis is a top team.